No, those white spots on your dishes aren’t from your cleaning mishap.
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Are residue on cleaned dishes, dry skin and hair, and color-fadedbath towelsraising your eyebrows?
These unsightly indicators are enough to suspect that youre dealing with hard water in your home.
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Knowing the signs of hard water is vitally important to keep your health in check and home functioning properly.
DIY solutions are available to regulate the mineral content.
What Is Hard Water?
Homes that operate on well water systems tend to seehard waterissues more than homes that run on city water.
This is because water treatments for well systems are not as strong as municipal systems.
“Well water systems won’t get dissolved minerals and particles out like municipal water does.”
But that doesn’t mean municipal water is fully exempt from experiencing hard water at times.
Rocks such as limestone are a major common source for hard water as erosion occurs.
Here are some drawbacks to having hard water in your current supply.
But that’s not all.
“Maintaining optimal water quality can be a supportive measure for those with kidney concerns.”
“Scale buildup reduces the efficiency of these appliances and eventually destroys them from the inside out.”
“Being insoluble, soap scum is tougher to break down and can cause clogging of drains.”
Signs You Have Hard Water
Effects of hard water can also be interpreted as signs.
But there are other signs to look out for that quickly indicate your home is dealing with hard water.
“Hard water leaves awhite scale on glass showerenclosures and dishes.
It is especially noticeable when it causes a foggy appearance on drinking glasses,” says Abrams.
Let the mixture sit for at least 15 minutes before scrubbing with a gentle pad to remove the stain.
Difficulty Lathering Soap
One of the easiest signs to spot is difficulty lathering soap.
With the extra mineral content in your water, soap suds will likely not be present.
It will also be difficult to lather shampoo when you shower.
Increased Energy Bills
Another sign to watch for hard water is increased energy bills.
Hard water can leave a film of soap scum on your skin that irritates it and dries it out.
Extra magnesium and calcium can leave your hair dull and tough to manage.
Because scale builds up in pipes, it can cause clogging, corrosion, and low water pressure.
Start by filling the clean bottle a third of the way with water from one of your faucets.
Water softener systems are available at local hardware stores and will work instantly to turn your hard water soft.
“Water softening systems are a godsend,” says Salas.
“These treatments soften water by forcing water through several stages of filtration.
And, speaking of maintenance, maintaining the soft water quality is key to preventing hard water from recurring.
Salas recommends regularly flushing out systems and being vigilant about spotting hard water signs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leave-in conditioner can help protect hair from damage due to hard water.
Boiling water does not remove heavy metals, pesticides, dirt, or microplastics.
Use a filter to purify your water.
A water softener system helps filter out the metallic minerals that cause a bad taste.
Water Science School.Hardness of Water.
June 11, 2018.
Miami Water and Air.What Does Hard Water Taste Like?
